by Bob Nightengale, USA TODAY Sports

by Bob Nightengale, USA TODAY Sports

Alex Rodriguez said Friday that he wants to immediately end his feud with the New York Yankees and suit up Friday night when they return home at Yankee Stadium.

"I think the Yankees and I crossed signals,'' Rodriguez said in a statement sent to USA TODAY Sports and other news outlets. "I don't want any more mix-ups. I'm excited and ready to play and help this team win a championship.

"I feel great and I'm ready and want to be in the lineup Friday night.

"Enough doctors, let's play.''

Rodriguez, who's on the disabled list and rehabbing in Tampa, was diagnosed by the Yankees' doctor, Chris Ahmad, with a Grade 1 quadriceps strain. Rodriguez had his own doctor examine the MRI, and Michael Gross said that Rodriguez was healthy.

The Yankees say that Rodriguez violated his contract and the Collective Bargaining Agreement by seeking a second opinion without permission.

Rodriguez, according to a person close to him but unauthorized to speak publicly, said that he informed Yankees President Randy Levine on Tuesday night that he was seeking a second opinion.

A high-ranking club official told USA TODAY Sports that Rodriguez telephoned Levine at 11 p.m. Tuesday, but said that Rodriguez told Levine that he already sought a second opinion.

Levine, according to the official who was unauthorized to speak publicly, asked Rodriguez the name of the doctor. Rodriguez refused to answer, the person said. When Gross publicly conveyed that he was the doctor who examined Rodriguez's MRI, Levine and Yankees GM Brian Cashman telephoned Gross at his New Jersey office, the person said, but that Gross refused to take their calls.

Rodriguez was back at the Yankees' spring-training facility Thursday working out in hopes that he can be activated Friday and make his season debut after recovering from his January hip surgery.